Method and apparatus for ensuring and tracking electrostatic discharge safety and compliance

Abstract

A method and apparatus for ensuring and tracking electrostatic discharge (ESD) safety and compliance via electronics that gather information and parameters from wearable electronics, such as a wrist strap, worn by each user at a company's electronics-manufacturing plant or similar facility that indicate whether and when a functional ESD ground is established and continually maintained between each respective user and each workstation at which each respective user locates, wherein a system monitor is configured to receive on a continual or periodic basis whether each user is complying with the ESD policy of the company. In some embodiments, the parts worked on at each workstation, billing and job numbers, and/or employee work hours are also tracked by a computer server that aggregates data from one or more system monitors and generates compliance reports for each part, job, and/or employee.

1 .- 66 . (canceled) 
     
     
         67 . A method comprising:
 providing a first wearable electrostatic discharge (ESD) device configured to be worn by a user;   assigning a machine-readable identification number to the first wearable device;   determining, by the first wearable ESD device, whether there is an electrical connection between the first wearable ESD device and the user's skin;   communicating, to an ESD data-collection system monitor, a plurality of parameters from the first wearable ESD device including the machine-readable identification number and an indication of the electrical connection to the user's skin; and   outputting a user-perceptible indication of whether the electrical conductivity between the first wearable ESD device and the user's skin is acceptable according to criteria of an electrostatic discharge (ESD) policy.   
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 67 , further comprising:
 measuring integrity of a connection from the first wearable ESD device to earth ground, and   communicating, to the ESD data-collection system monitor, a parameter representing integrity of a connection from the first wearable ESD device to earth ground.   
     
     
         69 . The method of  claim 67 , further comprising:
 collecting, at the ESD data-collection system monitor, and storing in a storage medium, a record of ESD compliance of a plurality of wearable ESD devices.   
     
     
         70 . The method of  claim 67 , further comprising:
 providing an ESD interface unit having an ESD-interface-unit information processor;   eliciting and receiving to the ESD-interface-unit information processor from each wearable ESD device that is connected to the ESD interface unit, and   communicating from the ESD-interface-unit information processor to report a plurality of parameters including an indication of an electrical connection between the user's skin and the earth ground at the workstation and integrity of a connection from each respective wearable ESD device to earth ground to the ESD data-collection system monitor.   
     
     
         71 . The method of  claim 70 , wherein the ESD-interface-unit information processor communicates wirelessly to the ESD data-collection system monitor. 
     
     
         72 . The method of  claim 67 , wherein the wearable ESD device communicates wirelessly to the ESD data-collection system monitor. 
     
     
         73 . The method of  claim 67 , further comprising:
 outputting from the first wearable ESD device a user-perceptible indication output whether either the electrical conductivity between the first wearable ESD device and the user's skin or the integrity of a connection from the first wearable ESD device to earth ground becomes unacceptable according to criteria of an ESD policy.   
     
     
         74 . A system comprising:
 a first wearable electrostatic discharge (ESD) device configured to be worn by a user and having:
 a machine-readable identification number associated with the first wearable ESD device; 
 an electrical connection configured to be connected to a workstation that has a connection to an earth ground; 
 an electrode that provides electrical conductivity between the wearable ESD device and the user's skin; 
 a wrist-contact sensor that detects whether the first wearable ESD device is in contact with the user's skin; 
 a wearable-device communications circuit configured to transmit, to an ESD data-collection system monitor, a plurality of parameters including the identification number and an indication of an electrical connection between the user's skin and the earth ground at the work station; and 
 electronics circuitry that measures electrical conductivity between the first wearable ESD device and the user's skin, wherein the wearable-device communications circuit is further configured to transmit, to the ESD data-collection system monitor, a value of the electrical conductivity between the user's skin and the first wearable ESD device. 
   
     
     
         75 . The system of  claim 74 , the first wearable ESD device further comprising:
 a strap; and   a sensor that determines whether the strap has sufficient tautness to provide suitable connection against the user's skin, wherein the wearable-device communications circuit is further configured to transmit, to the ESD data-collection system monitor, an indication of the suitable connection of the user's skin.   
     
     
         76 . The system of  claim 74 , the first wearable ESD device further comprising a user-interface output device operably connected to the communications circuit and configured to audibly indicate whether the electrical conductivity between the wearable ESD device and the user's skin is acceptable according to criteria of an electrostatic discharge (ESD) policy. 
     
     
         77 . The system of  claim 74 , the first wearable ESD device further comprising a user-interface output device operably connected to the communications circuit and configured to indicate by a haptic output indication whether the electrical conductivity between the wearable ESD device and the user's skin is acceptable according to criteria of an electrostatic discharge (ESD) policy. 
     
     
         78 . The system of  claim 74 , further comprising the ESD data-collection system monitor, wherein the ESD data-collection system monitor is configured to store in a storage medium a record of the ESD compliance of a plurality of wearable ESD devices. 
     
     
         79 . The system of  claim 74 , further comprising an electrostatic discharge (ESD) interface unit, wherein the ESD interface unit includes:
 an electrical interface configured to elicit and receive information from each wearable ESD device that is connected to the ESD interface unit, and   an ESD-interface-unit communications circuit configured to report, to the ESD data-collection system monitor, a plurality of parameters including an indication of an electrical connection between the user's skin and the earth ground at the workstation, and an indication of integrity of a connection from each respective wearable ESD device to earth ground.   
     
     
         80 . The system of  claim 79 , wherein the ESD-interface-unit communications circuit communicates wirelessly to the ESD data-collection system monitor. 
     
     
         81 . The system of  claim 74 , wherein the wearable-device communications circuit communicates wirelessly to the ESD data-collection system monitor. 
     
     
         82 . The system of  claim 74 , the first wearable ESD device further comprising a user-interface output device operably connected to the communications circuit and configured to alert the user by a user-perceptible indication output whether either an electrical connection between the first wearable ESD device and the user's skin or the integrity of a connection from the first wearable ESD device to earth ground becomes unacceptable according to criteria of an electrostatic discharge (ESD) policy. 
     
     
         83 . The system of  claim 74 , the first wearable ESD device further comprising:
 electronics that measures integrity of a connection from the first wearable ESD device to earth ground, wherein the communications circuit is further configured to report a parameter representing integrity of a connection from the first wearable ESD device to earth ground.   
     
     
         84 . The system of  claim 74 , the first wearable ESD device further comprising a user-interface output device operably connected to the communications circuit and configured to visually indicate whether the electrical conductivity between the first wearable ESD device and the user's skin is acceptable according to criteria of an electrostatic discharge (ESD) policy. 
     
     
         85 . A system comprising:
 a first wearable electrostatic discharge (ESD) device configured to be worn by a user and having:
 a machine-readable identification number associated with the first wearable ESD device; 
 an electrical connection configured to be connected to a workstation that has a connection to an earth ground; 
 an electrode that provides electrical conductivity between the wearable ESD device and the user's skin; 
 a sensor that detects whether the first wearable ESD device is in contact with the user's skin; 
 a wearable-device communications circuit configured to transmit, to an ESD data-collection system monitor, a plurality of parameters including the identification number and an indication of an electrical connection between the user's skin and the earth ground at the work station; and 
 a user-interface output device operably connected to the communications circuit and configured to output a user-perceptible indication of whether the electrical conductivity between the wearable ESD device and the user's skin is acceptable according to criteria of an electrostatic discharge (ESD) policy. 
   
     
     
         86 . A system comprising:
 a first wearable electrostatic discharge (ESD) device configured to be worn by a user and having:
 a machine-readable identification number associated with the first wearable ESD device; 
 an electrical connection configured to be connected to a workstation that has a connection to an earth ground; 
 an electrode that provides electrical conductivity between the wearable ESD device and the user's skin; 
 a wearable-device communications circuit configured to transmit, to an ESD data-collection system monitor, a plurality of parameters including the identification number and an indication of an electrical connection between the user's skin and the earth ground at the work station; and 
 a user-interface output device operably connected to the communications circuit and configured to indicate whether the user is grounded. 
   
     
     
         87 . An electrostatic-discharge (ESD) interface system configured to monitor compliance of a plurality of users including a first user at a plurality of work stations including a first work station that has a connection to an earth ground, the system comprising:
 a first ESD interface device configured to be associated with the first work station, wherein the first ESD interface device includes:
 a machine-readable identification number associated with the first ESD interface device; 
 an electrical connection configured to be connected to the earth ground at the first work station; 
 an electrical connection that provides electrical conductivity between the first ESD interface device and a first wearable device, wherein the first wearable device has a machine-readable identification number and is configured to provide electrical contact to the first user's skin; 
 an ESD-interface-device communications circuit configured to communicate, to a data-collection ESD-compliance system monitor, a plurality of parameters including:
 the identification number of the first ESD wearable device, 
 the identification number of the first ESD interface device, and 
 an indication of an electrical connection between the user's skin and the earth ground at the first work station; and 
 
 a user-interface output device operably connected to the ESD-interface-device communications circuit and configured to provide a first user-perceptible indication of whether the electrical conductivity between the first ESD interface device and the user's skin is acceptable according to criteria of an ESD policy. 
   
     
     
         88 . The system of  claim 87 , the first ESD interface device further comprising:
 circuitry that measures electrical conductivity between the first ESD interface device and the earth ground, wherein the ESD-interface-device communications circuit of the first ESD interface device is further configured to transmit, to the ESD-compliance system monitor, a value of the electrical conductivity between the first interface device and the earth ground.   
     
     
         89 . The system of  claim 87 , wherein the first user-perceptible indication includes an audible output. 
     
     
         90 . The system of  claim 87 , wherein the first user-perceptible indication includes a visible output. 
     
     
         91 . The system of  claim 87 , further comprising the ESD-compliance system monitor, wherein the ESD-compliance system monitor is configured to store in a storage medium a record of the ESD compliance of a plurality of wearable devices each having a machine-readable identification number and configured to provide electrical contact to a user's skin. 
     
     
         92 . The system of  claim 87 , further comprising the ESD-compliance system monitor, wherein the ESD-compliance system monitor is configured to store in a storage medium a record of the ESD compliance of a plurality of wearable devices each having a machine-readable identification number and configured to provide electrical contact to a user's skin, wherein the record is encrypted to protect against tampering with, erasing or changing the record. 
     
     
         93 . The system of  claim 87 , further comprising the first wearable device, wherein the first wearable device includes:
 an electrical interface configured to elicit and receive information from each ESD interface device that is connected to the wearable device, and   a wearable-device communications circuit configured to report a plurality of parameters including a value of the electrical conductivity of the user's skin and an indication of a connection integrity from the wearable device to earth ground to a ESD-compliance system monitor.   
     
     
         94 . The system of  claim 93 , wherein the first wearable-device communications circuit communicates wirelessly to the ESD-compliance system monitor. 
     
     
         95 . The system of  claim 87 , wherein the first ESD interface device communications circuit communicates wirelessly to the ESD-compliance system monitor. 
     
     
         96 . The system of  claim 87 , wherein the user-interface output device is further configured to provide a second user-perceptible indication of whether the integrity of a connection from the wearable device to earth ground becomes unacceptable according to criteria of an ESD policy. 
     
     
         97 . The system of  claim 87 , wherein the first ESD interface device further includes circuitry that measures integrity of a connection from the first ESD interface device to earth ground, wherein the ESD interface device communications circuit is further configured to report at least one parameter representing the integrity of the connection from the first ESD interface device to earth ground. 
     
     
         98 . The system of  claim 87 , wherein the first user-perceptible indication includes a haptic output. 
     
     
         99 . A system comprising:
 a first wearable electrostatic discharge (ESD) device configured to be worn by a user and having:
 a machine-readable identification number associated with the first wearable ESD device; 
 an electrical connection configured to be connected to a workstation that has a connection to an earth ground; 
 an electrode that provides electrical conductivity between the wearable ESD device and the user's skin; 
 a wearable-device communications circuit configured to transmit, to an ESD data-collection system monitor, a plurality of parameters including the identification number and an indication of an electrical connection between the user's skin and the earth ground at the work station; and 
 a user-interface output device operably connected to the communications circuit and configured to provide a user-perceptible indication of whether the electrical conductivity between the first wearable ESD device and the user's skin is acceptable according to criteria of an ESD policy. 
   
     
     
         100 . An electrostatic-discharge (ESD) interface method comprising:
 providing a first ESD interface device having an ESD-interface-device information processor and having a serial number associated with a first work station;   providing a first wearable device configured to be worn by a first user;   detecting whether the first wearable device is in contact with the user's skin;   connecting the first ESD interface device to earth ground at the first work station;   connecting the first wearable device to the first ESD interface device;   communicating, to a ESD-compliance system monitor from the ESD interface device, a plurality of parameters including an indication of an electrical connection of the first user's skin to the earth ground; and   outputting a user perceptible indication of whether the electrical conductivity between the first ESD interface device and the user's skin is acceptable according to criteria of an ESD policy.   
     
     
         101 . The ESD interface method of  claim 100 , further comprising:
 determining integrity of a connection from the first ESD interface device to earth ground, and   communicating to the ESD-compliance system monitor a parameter representing integrity of the connection from the first ESD interface device to earth ground.   
     
     
         102 . The ESD interface method of  claim 100 , further comprising:
 collecting, at the ESD-compliance system monitor, and storing in a storage medium, a record of the ESD compliance of a plurality of ESD interface devices.   
     
     
         103 . The ESD interface method of  claim 100 , further comprising:
 providing an ESD mat;   eliciting and receiving to the ESD-interface-device information processor from each wearable device that is connected to the ESD mat, and   communicating, from ESD interface device to the ESD-compliance system monitor, to report a plurality of parameters including a value of the electrical conductivity of the user's skin and integrity of a connection from the wearable device to earth ground.   
     
     
         104 . The ESD-interface method of  claim 103 , wherein the plurality of parameters is communicated by the first ESD interface device wirelessly to the ESD-compliance system monitor. 
     
     
         105 . The ESD-interface method of  claim 100 , wherein the wearable-device communicates wirelessly to the ESD-compliance system monitor. 
     
     
         106 . The ESD-interface method of  claim 100 , further comprising:
 outputting from the wearable device a user-perceptible indication output whether either the electrical conductivity between the wearable device and the user's skin or the integrity of a connection from the wearable device to earth ground becomes unacceptable according to criteria of an ESD policy.   
     
     
         107 . An apparatus comprising:
 a wearable electrostatic discharge (ESD) device configured to be worn by a user;   means for measuring electrical conductivity between the wearable ESD device and the user's skin; and   means for communicating, to an ESD data-collection system monitor, a plurality of parameters from the wearable ESD device including a value of the electrical conductivity of the user's skin.   
     
     
         108 . An ESD-interface apparatus comprising:
 a first ESD interface device;   means for measuring electrical conductivity between the first ESD interface device and an earth ground; and   means for communicating a plurality of parameters from the first ESD interface device including a value of the electrical conductivity between the first ESD interface device and an earth ground to a ESD-compliance system monitor.   
     
     
         109 . The apparatus of  claim 108 , further comprising:
 a first wearable device configured to be worn by a first user and having a machine-readable wearable-device number associated with the first wearable device, wherein the first ESD interface device includes means for receiving the machine-readable wearable-device number from the first wearable device, and wherein the plurality of parameters includes the machine-readable wearable-device number from the first wearable device.